


Bag of Sweets

by writingonpostcards



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Halloween, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-22 01:05:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2488733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingonpostcards/pseuds/writingonpostcards
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“I better get going. Thank you for tonight. You were... very helpful. More than you needed to be.”</em>
</p><p>  <em>“Don’t mention it.” Lydia replies, and she means it. Jacob is adorable and Stiles... Stiles seems like a really great father. It was the least she could do. </em></p><p>It starts with matching Halloween costumes and ends with much more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta'd. Mistakes are my own. 
> 
> Title taken from the Deborah Conway song (although the thematic material is very different).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the first Halloween

As Lydia frantically upends a bag of sweets into a decorative, pumpkin shaped bowl, she curses herself for deciding to move into her new home in late October. It’s not that she doesn’t like the quaint, one bedroom house – in fact she quite likes it, having spent months searching for it – or that she isn’t accustomed to the small town vibe of Beacon Hills after Harvard; it’s for the simple fact that it’s Halloween. Lydia had forgotten how in to the holiday the families got around here. Her mother always told her stories of her childhood growing up in the area, how the police station always did the best costumes but that the elderly couple on the corner of West and New Street had the best handmade lollies.

Lydia had actually envisioned herself having the time to make some homemade rock candy – her favourite – to give out tonight but she'd been delayed by some errant paperwork and so here she is at midday on October 31st having just returned from buying what were probably the last packets of confectionery in the entire district.

She leaves the bowl of candy sitting on the kitchen counter and makes her way down the corridor to her bedroom. There are still a few boxes sitting along the corridor needing to be unpacked. Mostly books waiting for her new shelf to arrive.

Lydia always enjoys Halloween and even though at 27 she is far past the age of dressing up and trick-or-treating, she still enjoys getting into a costume. The kids who knock on the door always appreciate it and it helps her keep up her stage makeup skills from the summer course she did a few years back. She doesn’t plan on needing them this year though.

This year Lydia chooses something simple. A flowing white dress with gold jewellery. She doesn’t even need shoes. She takes her hair out of the bun it has been in all day and lets it fall in waves across her shoulders and down her back. She crafts a makeshift halo out of an unused coat hanger and wraps some gold tinsel around it. She does basic makeup but makes sure to use the shimmer bases. She has to search around her bathroom for a few minutes before she unearths the gold lipstick she wore to her Halloween party last year but it’s worth it. 

She walks back into her bedroom and reviews her work in the full length mirror. After placing the halo on her head she’s all done. An angel. A pretty passable one too, considering she hadn’t planned this year’s costume in advance.

-

5 hours later Lydia slumps on her couch and lets out a sigh. “Beacon Hills,” she mumbles, “who would’ve known?”

It feels wonderful to finally sit for an extended stretch of time. The people in this town are manic for Halloween. Well and truly. There has been a knock on the front door every minute since early afternoon. Sometimes big groups of primary school kids, sometimes a few parents with young children, occasionally a pair of older children clearly only interested in the free candy.

Lydia sighs and reaches to take her halo off when there’s a knock on the door. She pauses with her arms still reaching up and glances at her clock. It’s 7:24. Too late for younger trick-or-treaters but well before the older ones would be heading off to parties, not that they’d knock anyway.

She sighs and heads to the front door, grabbing the pumpkin bowl on her way.

She opens the door to a father and son combo who both immediately proclaim _Trick or Treat!_

Lydia laughs when she realises what they’re wearing. 

The little boy, who she guesses is around 3 years old, is wearing a white button-up shirt and white pants with little converse that are spray painted gold. On his head is a halo, one of those plastic ones you buy from the 2 dollar shops. He’s adorable and smiling up at Lydia with big hazel eyes and dimples. He even has a pair of gold wings on.

His father is dressed in a similar fashion. White shirt done up bar the top few buttons, white dress pants, white leather shoes and a matching halo on his head. He isn’t wearing any gold but his eyes more than make up for it. They’re sparkling in the moonlight and remind Lydia of soft caramel.

He laughs softly, coming to the same realisation as Lydia.

“Looks like we’ve found another angel, Jake,” the father speaks, looking down to consult with his son.

“Yeah.” The child nods seriously and looks back to his father. “She must be a special angel though. She has a gold halo.”

The father looks up at the aforementioned halo and then meets Lydia’s eyes. “You’re right Jacob,” he agrees, also nodding but maintaining eye contact with Lydia. “She must be a very special angel to have a golden crown.” Lydia notices something inviting about the warm smile he is giving her and on a maternal whim – and isn’t that new – she crouches down in front of his son, Jacob, and smiles.

“Hello little angel. You know,” she says, noticing that the bowl of candy is actually empty, “I don’t have any treats left, but if you wanted, you can have my halo instead.”

The little boy's eyes widen comically and he flings his arm out, hitting his father in the knee. “Dad, dad. Can I _please_?”

Lydia tilts her head to look up at Jacob’s father. He’s smiling still, more amused now though than before. He nods at Lydia and Jacob, and Lydia reaches up to remove the halo from her head. Over the course of the night the tinsel must have gotten tangled in her hair and it catches as she tries to pull it off her head.

“Here, let me help,” the father says, crouching down next to her and gently untangling strands of Lydia’s hair from the halo before passing it over to his son once it’s free. Jacob immediately yanks his own halo off and passes it to his dad. He looks at the halo in awe before slowly putting it on his head. It’s a little big for him and falls down his forehead slightly, getting caught on his ears. His father chuckles and reaches to push the halo back up.

“Now, what do we say to the angel?”

“Thank you angel lady!” Jacob says quickly, but not without meaning.

“You are more than welcome, little angel.” Lydia smiles at Jacob, pushing herself up so she’s facing the father once more, who stood up in time with her.

“Sorry we’re here late.” The father speaks to her softly, leaning in. “Up until a few hours ago I thought we were going as Batman and Robin. Last minute solutions _are_ a forte of mine but Jacob’s a little picky about his Halloween costumes so it took longer than expected.”

“That’s no worry at all. You both look very charming.”

“Is that so?” the father responds, smiling at Lydia. This smile is different. Still as inviting as the others and with a hint of amusement, but also – is Lydia reading this right – flirtation? She matches it with a smile of her own and watches the father’s get even bigger in response.

“Well,” the father says after a few seconds of eye-contact, “us angels better get going. It’s getting very close to our bed time.”

Jacob pouts but doesn’t complain as he reaches up to take his father’s outstretched hand.

“Have a good night,” the man says over his shoulder as he leads Jacob down the path to the front gate.

Lydia smiles and gives him a small wave, waiting until the gate is closed behind them before reaching for the empty candy bowl. As she does she notices the bag of Halloween candy sitting in the doorway. Jacob must have put it down to put on the halo and left it behind. She’s debating running after Jacob and his father when she hears a shout of, “Daddy! I left my candy at the angel’s house!”

When she looks up, the father is opening the gate for Jacob and giving Lydia a bashful smile as Jacob spots his bag of sweets and runs up the path to get it. Lydia holds the bag out to Jacob and he takes it from her quickly, offering her a smile just as shy as his father's.

Lydia is watching the father as he tracks his son’s return to him, so she misses exactly what happens. One moment the man is standing by the gate, tapping his fingers on it as he watches Jacob walk towards him, and the next he’s looking panicked and racing towards the house.

Lydia looks down to see Jacob sprawled on the ground at the bottom of the front steps, candy scattered all around him. He’s still looking shocked but as his father reaches him he starts to cry, realising that he’s hurt himself.

When his father sits down beside him and goes to pull him onto his lap, Jacob lets out a little scream and looks down at his feet. The sock on his right foot is patchy with blood that is seeping from what must be a bad cut on his ankle. The father is sitting there looking absolutely lost.

“Get him in the house,” Lydia directs. “Lounge room is on the right. Lay him down on the couch. I’m going to get the first aid stuff.”

The father looks grateful and leans to loop his arms under Jacob’s leg and around his back. Lydia hears him telling his son that it might hurt, but _we’ve got an angel here to help you_ as she rushes to her bathroom to grab her medical kit. Thank goodness for Allison always stressing the importance of keeping a first aid kit in the house. It had been one of the first things she’d unpacked.

When she gets back to the front room Jacob is lying on her couch, still crying gently as his father slowly unties his shoe laces and pulls the shoe off his foot. He doesn’t look up when Lydia enters, keeping his focus on Jacob as he gently tries to peel the sock off his foot.

Lydia walks around the back of the couch with the medical kit and the man looks up at her finally.

“Do you want me to do it or would Jacob prefer you?”

Before the man can answer, Jacob says, “let the angel do it daddy,” and reaches his hand out for his father's.

“I guess you’re doing it then.” The father looks at her as though unsure Lydia will actually do it now that she’s presented with the reality of a 3 year old child bleeding and crying on her couch. She nods gently and offers him a reassuring smile, walking around to take his place and gently pushing him to the other end of the couch where his son’s head is.

“Angel.” He says softly. It’s a thank you.

Lydia cleans the blood from Jacob’s ankle and finds the cut. It’s not terribly deep but he must have grazed it on the corner of one of the concrete steps because a lot of the skin has been peeled off. 

“It’s not bad.” She lets the kid know. “You’ll be back to angel duties in no time.”

Jacob finally stops crying and gives her a watery smile. His father leans over to press a kiss to his temple and wipe away the tear tracks with the sleeve of his shirt. It’s touching to witness and makes Lydia feel warm inside. Her mother did the same thing whenever she cried as a kid.

“You look like you know what you’re doing,” Jacob’s father remarks as Lydia smooths antiseptic cream over the cut. “I can manage most scrapes and bruises but I’m nowhere near as confident as you are.”

"My friend Allison is a nurse at the hospital here. I used to help her study at college." Lydia shrugs and glances up at the man who is crouched by Jacob's head, running soothing fingers through his hair. "I guess I picked up a few things."

"You have a good memory then."

Lydia nods slightly at the compliment, concentrating on bandaging Jacob’s ankle.

"Hey, strange question," the man interrupts her concentration half a minute later. "You don't happen to mean Allison Argent do you?"

"Yeah, I do. Why?" Lydia finishes wrapping Jacob’s ankle and secures the bandage with a clip.

"She's actually one of my best friends. Married my step-brother Scott two years ago."

"You're kidding," Lydia says, turning around. She had been at the wedding. Or more accurately, at the reception. She’d had a late law exam and flew straight over that evening. The reception had been gorgeous though, out in the preserve with tables draped in white cloth and fairy lights wound through the trees. Lots of dancing and laughing and Allison looking like the happiest woman on earth. “I was at the reception,” she eventually tells him.

“Small world huh? I was best man at the wedding. I would have missed you though, me and the ring-bearer Jacob here turned in early that night.” He ruffles his son’s hair and looks down with unmasked fondness at him. Lydia can’t help but notice there has been no mention of a mother but she’s not one to pry and despite their apparently having mutual friends and this guy seeming like a nice person, they don’t actually know each other well enough for her to ask.

Lydia goes to put the first aid kit back in the bathroom and when she returns Jacob is now sitting up on the couch and rubbing groggily at his eyes.

“How're you feeling, buddy?”

“Better.” Jacob yawns out.

“Good. Say thank you to the angel and then we’ll get you home and in bed.”

Jacob turns his sweet face to Lydia and smiles shyly at her. “Thank you angel.”

“You’re welcome Jacob.”

As Jacob is lifted up into his father’s arms Lydia remembers something.

“Wait a moment. Please.” She tells them both, hurrying to the kitchen. She opens the pantry and reaches to the top shelf, having to feel around for a few moments before her hand grasps a small gift bag containing rock candy. Her mother had sent it over as a house-warming gift before her visit this weekend. 

Jacob and his father are standing in the doorway when she steps out of the kitchen. Jacob looks close to sleep on his father’s shoulder so instead of bothering him, Lydia gives the bag to the older man. It takes a little effort because the hand that isn’t supporting Jacob is holding the discarded shoe and sock, but she manages to work the strings of the gift bag over the spare fingers, making sure it won’t drop.

“To replace his other sweets.” Lydia explains. “It’s rock candy. My mother made it. It might be a little too hard for him but just get him to suck on them and he should be fine.” She smiles at the father who is looking at her with some indecipherable mix of emotions.

“Stiles,” he finally says.

“Pardon?”

“My name. It’s Stiles.” The corner of his mouth quirks up as he explains.

“I’m Lydia.”

“I know.” He laughs under his breath at Lydia's look of surprise, trying not to disturb Jacob. “You’re friends with Allison Argent. She’s been talking about you moving here for the past month or so. Wasn’t that hard to put together.”

“Smart, are you?” Lydia responds somewhat irritably, a little off-put that Stiles had guessed who she was. 

“I like to think so.”

The pair stay in the doorway for a few moments longer before Jacob lets out a deep sigh and tucks his face further into Stiles’ neck.

“I better get going. Thank you for tonight. You were... very helpful. More than you needed to be.”

“Don’t mention it.” Lydia replies, and she means it. Jacob is adorable and Stiles... Stiles seems like a really great father. It was the least she could do.

“Ok then. I expect I’ll see you again soon. I think Allison was planning a housewarming party for you.”

Lydia smiles at that. “She probably is. That sounds just like her.”

“I’ll see you soon Lydia. Thanks for the replacement sweets. Have a good night.”

“You too Stiles.”

She watches Stiles and Jacob retreat slowly down the front path and waits until Stiles nudges the gate closed behind him with his hip before she stars clearing the spilled candy from her front lawn.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the second Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, un-beta'd

Jacob is kneeling on the couch in Lydia’s front room, his head perched on the back of it while he stares avidly out the window. It’s the same couch he’d been on the first time he was in Lydia’s house Halloween last year, after he’d fallen in her front yard. It’s also the same couch Jacob, Lydia and Stiles had squished onto for several movie nights in the past year. The couch Jacob sometimes fell asleep on while Lydia and Stiles were in the kitchen doing the dishes after a dinner together. The couch Jacob had accidently covered in glitter glue one memorable afternoon when Lydia had been helping him make a father’s day card for Stiles, who at the present moment is doing a last minute grocery run to prepare for the lunch Lydia is hosting. 

“Lyd-ya! Daddy’s back!” Jacob stands up on the couch and points out the window to where Stiles is making his way up the path, juggling several grocery bags. He somehow still manages to lift his arms and wave ridiculously at Lydia and Jacob.

“Come on then, Jacob. Let’s go get the door for him.” Lydia lifts Jacob off the couch and puts him gently down on the floor. Jacob runs out the front room and to the front door and Lydia follows behind him.

Jacob is trying to undo the lock on the front door, his face screwed up in concentration as his little 4 year old fingers struggle with the stiff lock.

“Here Jacob.” Lydia says. “Let me get it.”

He steps backs and lets out an aggrieved sigh which Lydia smiles at. She’s learnt that Jacob is a very dramatic kid. Stiles always adamantly refuses he picked it up from him, and every time he does so with exaggerated arm gestures and a foot stomp. Lydia just rolls her eyes at him. 

“Hello there!” Stiles says, smiling as Lydia opens the door. “Jacob, help an old man with the groceries, would you?” Jacob giggles as he reaches up to take a packet of napkins from where they are wedged under Stiles arm. Jacob is still too young to really help with the heavy groceries but he likes to feel like he’s helping out so Stiles always gives him little tasks to do. Lydia has started doing it as well.

“Daddy, you’re not old.”

Stiles laughs loudly, throwing his head back.

“I like that. Keep the compliments coming buddy. Why don’t you go put the napkins in the kitchen for me?”

“’K dad!” Jacob replies eagerly as he moves off to the kitchen.

Stiles steps into the house then, offers Lydia a smile and leans in to kiss her chastely on the lips. “Thanks for looking after him.”

“You know I don’t mind.” Lydia closes the door behind him and they move together towards the kitchen. “Shops busy?”

“Ugh, yes. Very. And they only had 4 cashiers working today so that was a pain.”

“Ah well. Did you manage to get everything?”

“Of course.” Stiles dumps the bags on the kitchen bench which Jacob is sitting at, spinning himself around on one Lydia's tall stools.

Lydia begins unpacking the groceries as Stiles picks Jacob up and tosses him in the air. Jacob squeals but lets Stiles cover him with kisses when he catches him.

“Put me down daddy. I wanna help Lyd-ya.”

“Ok sport.” Stiles deposits him onto the floor and ruffles his hair before letting him go.

The three of them get the groceries away quickly and move on to making the lunch. They go with homemade pizza’s because they’re quick and easy to specialise for fussy eaters like Jacob. While the dough is rising in the sun on Lydia’s front porch, the trio set up the small plastic table in the front yard with 5 chairs and sets of plates and napkins. Stiles insists on using the hideous orange plastic tablecloth with black cartoon spiders on it that he’d bought and Lydia only agrees because of Jacob’s enthusiasm for the idea.

It must be a kid thing – and yes, Lydia is including Stiles in that group – because when Scott and Allison arrive, Scott with a diaper bag heavy on one shoulder and carrying a pumpkin pie, Tash leans dangerously in Allison’s arms towards the table, pointing with her fist and ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’.

“Hey guys.” Allison greets them with a smile despite struggling to keep Tash upright in her arms. “This table looks wonderful. Did you help set it Jacob?”

“Yes Aunty Allison. I did the napkins and helped Lyd-ya with the plates!”

Allison takes a seat at the table and Jacob eagerly hops onto the chair next to her so he can start playing with Tash. Meanwhile, Lydia and Stiles head over to Scott.

“Oh my god that pie looks amazing.” Stiles groans as he takes it from Scott. “Did your mum make it?”

“Yep,” Scott says, nodding and readjusting the nappy bag on his shoulder now that his hands are free.

“Come put your bags down. I’ll get this into the fridge.” Stiles says, and leads Scott towards the house.

“Bring the cups out with you when you come back.” Lydia calls after him. Stiles raises the pie above his head in acknowledgement.

“So Ally, how’s it all going?” Lydia asks as she takes the seat next the Jacob and smooths his runaway hair from his forehead. He’s busy playing a game of peek-a-boo with Tash who is squealing every time Jacob covers her eyes with his hands.

Allison takes a deep breath and sighs out. Lydia can see slight bags under her eyes but she looks happy and healthy.

“It’s going really well I think. Scott’s just started back full-time at the school but it hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it could be with just me and Tash.” She leans down to give her daughter a soft kiss on her head. Tash is 9 months old now and despite being proficient at crawling, much prefers being held by Scott or Allison. Truth be told, she probably favours Jacob to either Lydia or Stiles, and she always makes a beeline for him when the group is together.

“Are you guys doing trick-or-treating this year?” 

“No,” Allison bounces Tash up and down on her leg. “She’s too young for it really, as much as Scott can’t wait to dress her in all sorts of adorable outfits. He’s already got a list actually,” she laughs, “unbelievable.” Lydia can see the fondness in her eyes as Allison says it. “What about you? Are you going with Stiles and Jacob this year?”

“Lyd-ya’s going as the little mermaid.” Jacob informs Allison. “Because she has red hair and is really pretty, like Ariel.”

Allison devotes her attention to Jacob as he answers, nodding in agreement.

“Is that so?” she asks kindly.

“Yeah. Daddy says so.” Allison looks up and raises her eyebrows suggestively at Lydia. She feels herself blushing faintly, knowing that Stiles has been talking to Jacob about her. 

Allison has been really encouraging of Stiles and Lydia dating. When Lydia had asked for her opinion on it several months ago, unsure of whether she should initiate something with Jacob involved, Allison straight away told her to go for it. _“He talks about you a lot,”_ she had said, _“and he says Jacob calls you angel. I think you guys would work well together.”_

“What do I say Jacob?" Stiles asks returning with Scott, the men bearing cups and jugs of water between them. Stiles places the cups on the table and takes the seat next to Lydia, while Scott sits down next to Allison and kisses her on the cheek.

“That Lyd-ya is pretty.”

“Hmm,” Stiles hums in agreement, turning to smile at Lydia, “I do say that.” She returns his smile and places a hand on his knee, grasping softly before letting go. She doesn’t miss the delighted look in Allison’s eyes when she does it.

“So, I think I saw pizza for lunch?” Scott looks eagerly at Lydia. She rolls her eyes at his typical train of thought.

“Yep. Jacob’s going to help me make them, aren’t you Jake?”

“Yes I am.” He tells Scott proudly before returning to playing games with Tash.

“Well I can't wait. I’m _starving!_ I had to go help set up decorations for the dance at the school and I slept through my alarm and missed breakfast.” Scott finishes his story with his trademark puppy dog pout.

“Ah buddy,” Stiles says, laying a hand on Scott’s shoulder, “I am so sorry that misfortune has befallen you, but let me tell you, Lydia here makes the most amazing pizza.”

“Better than mum’s?” Scott challenges.

“Better by half. But ah,” he removes the hand from Scott’s shoulder and uses it to run through his hair, “best not tell Mel that or she’ll start withholding baked goods from me. Again.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it Stiles.”

The group spend the next 20 or so minutes catching up. Scott tells them about the class field trip to the aquarium a few towns over and the drama of choosing which movie to put on for the bus ride. Stiles tells them about a new client he has who doesn’t have any awareness of colour coordination and thinks pink writing on an orange background is the way to go. Allison and Scott pass sentences back and forth between them as they struggle through laughter to tell the story of Tash and her efforts to pull every single book off their bookshelf. And Lydia keeps them up to date with the new employees at her office, two of who seem to be having some kind of secret affair judging from their conversations she overhears around the coffee machine in the communal kitchen.

The timer on Lydia’s phone goes off halfway through Scott’s impression of one of his particularly opinionated students.

“Hey Jacob, time to make the pizza.”

“Yes!” He leaps up from where he was sitting with Tash on the grass at Allison’s feet.

Lydia grabs the bowl of dough from her front porch as she walks past and carries it into the kitchen, Jacob following behind. Between them they find her baking trays and rolling pins and lay them out on the bench. She covers the surface with flour and Jacob helps, although his fistfuls of flour mainly end up in clumps on the bench or, for reasons outside of normal gravity, in his own hair. Lydia lets Jacob punch down the dough and if he wasn’t a naturally sweet little boy, she’d by worried about aggression issues in the future what with how he pummels the dough so hard she's worried about her bowl breaking.

“Can we toss it Lyd-ya? Can we please?” Jacob asks as he steps off his little stool. He draws out the please and pouts a little. Lydia has to bite back a smile so she can put on a mock-serious face.

“Toss the pizza?” 

“Yes.”

“You sure about that?” She places her hands on her hips and frowns down at Jacob who is not dissuaded.

“Yes! Yes! YES!”

“I don’t know... It doesn’t like you really, _really_ want to.”

“I do. I _really_ wanna!” Jacob bounces on his heels and his hair flops across his forehead.

“Well...” Lydia draws out, amused at the way Jacob’s eyes widen, “Alright then.”

She removes her hands from her hips and takes the dough out of the mixing bowl, placing it onto the flour covered bench while Jacob watches and continues to bounce up and down with eagerness.

“Have you ever tossed pizza dough before?” Jacob nods seriously at her question, even stopping his bouncing.

“My grandad taught me.” Lydia gets a ridiculous mental image of the Sheriff in his uniform tossing pizza with Jacob, both wearing massive white chef hats. It’s adorable.

“The Sheriff makes his own pizza does he?”

“Yeah. Grandma Mel taught him. But they make icky cauliflower dough, not nice like yours.” Lydia smiles at that. It's comforting to know that Jacob enjoys her cooking, because over the past year he's been subject to a lot of it.

“Ok then, grab that rolling pin would you?” she asks, pointing to where it is on the bench. Jacob quickly reaches to get it and bring it over. “We’ve got to roll it out a little first alright, or else the throwing won’t work.”

The two break the dough into quarters and roll out circles until they’re about the size of Lydia’s hand. It isn’t the cleanest of cooking endeavours and they both end up with flour on their clothes because Lydia doesn’t own any aprons. But they’ll be changing later to go trick-or-treating so it doesn’t bother her.

“Ok, throwing time. Want to show me how it’s done?”

“Huh?” is the elegant (adorable) reply from Jacob.

“Well I’ve never tossed pizza dough before,” she tells him, which is true, “so you’ll need to be my teacher.”

“Like Uncle Scott?”

“Yes. Like that.”

“Ok.” Jacob furrows his brow for a moment, giving serious consideration to his new responsibility. Lydia notices that he even does the squinty eye thing just like Stiles and she smiles at that. “I don’t know how to explain it,” he finally says. “Can I just show you?” Lydia nods eagerly.

Jacob picks up one of the rounds of dough and holds it between his hands like a Frisbee. He takes a deep breath and launches the dough up vertically. It spins rapidly in the air, visibly stretching out. It comes down too quickly for Jacob though and ends up on the kitchen floor.

Lydia doesn’t think anything of it – making mess is part of cooking – but when she looks up, Jacob’s bottom lip is trembling slightly so she does the first thing she can think of.

“5 second rule!” she declares, peeling the dough off the floor. Despite the drop it has held its shape well so she puts in onto one of the trays she’d gotten out earlier. Thankfully, she seems to have shocked Jacob out of his sadness. Instead he has his squinty, inquisitive eyes on again.

“What’s the 5 second rule?”

“It means, if you drop your food on the ground you can pick it up and it will still be fine to eat. But you have to do it before 5 seconds.”

“So you rescued the pizza. Because of the 5 second rule.” Lydia nods at him. “Cool” he breathes out, looking awed.

After that, the rest of the bases get made easily. Lydia drops her dough once – and not even on purpose – but it makes Jacob yell “5 SECOND RULE” with absolute glee and laugh uncontrollably as she scrambles to pick it up while he counts out the seconds.

They cover each pizza with a different topping; cheese only for Jacob, hawaiian for Scott, a vegetarian one for Allison. Lydia even consents to putting pineapples on half of her pepperoni and mushroom pizza, because apparently _“that’s daddy’s favouritest”_. She also throws some pre-made garlic bread in the oven that Stiles picked up earlier from the store.

Jacob and Lydia spend the 12 minutes waiting for the pizza’s to cook by cleaning up the bench. Lydia wipes down the counter tops and Jacob get’s out a little pan and broom and tries to sweep up some flour from the floor. He mostly succeeds in spreading it out even further but Lydia doesn’t mention it.

When they're ready, Lydia cuts the pizza’s up and piles them up on serving plates. The garlic bread was pre-cut so she has Jacob separate the pieces and throw them in a big bowl.

“Ok. Let’s carry this all outside. Got the garlic bread?”

“Yep.”

“Great. Go slow and watch where you’re stepping.” Lydia thinks she sees Jacob roll his eyes at that.

“PIZZA!” Scott announces their presence before Lydia has even got her second foot out the door. “Smells _amazing_ Jakey boy. Good job.” Jacob beams up at Scott as he places his bowl carefully on the table and goes to sit back on his seat. Allison picks Tash up from the grass and puts her back in her lap. Lydia notices the half empty plastic bowl of mashed banana in front of Allison and assumes she must have already fed Tash. When Lydia looks she can see a few smears of banana through Tash’s hair and knows she’s right.

“Dig in everyone.” Lydia says as she places the plates of pizza in the middle of the table.

Everyone reaches out to grab a few slices and deposit them on their plates.

“Pineapple?” Stiles quirks an eyebrow at Lydia when he finds the monstrosity of his pepperoni, mushroom and pineapple pizza. “How did you know?”

“Jacob told me.” Lydia makes a disgusted face at Stiles to let him know just exactly what she thinks of his taste.

“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”

“Nuh-uh. That is not going _anywhere_ near my mouth.”

“Suit yourself.” Stiles shrugs and takes a massive bite, leaning towards Lydia to do so, moaning over-enthusiastically. Lydia merely shoves him away and sticks her tongue out at him before taking a much more dainty bite of her pineapple-less pizza.

Scott and Allison both roll their eyes at that.

The pizza disappears quickly and so does the garlic bread, until eventually it’s just Lydia and Jacob who have food left on their plates. Allison and Stiles are talking eagerly about a novel they’ve both just read and Scott is inside changing Tash’s diaper. A car horn blasts suddenly, causing Jacob to jump in his seat and his garlic bread to fall onto the grass.

“5 second rule!” Jacob shouts and leans down to grab the fallen garlic bread. He has it halfway to his mouth before Stiles notices.

“Woh, Jakey. Watcha doing buddy?” Jacob freezes and looks to Lydia.

“5 second rule," he tells his dad. Stiles looks terribly confused so Lydia steps in.

“Jacob, that’s only an inside rule," she explains.

“Oh.” He says softly, looking forlornly at his garlic bread.

“Here,” Lydia says, taking her own garlic bread from her plate and passing to Jacob. “Have mine.”

“Thank you angel,” he says sweetly, giving Lydia his adorable smile as he bites straight into his new bread.

“You’re welcome little angel.” Lydia catches Stiles looking questioningly at her and she merely shrugs her shoulders and quirks her lips at him. He rolls his eyes – mature as always.

Tash begins to drop off not long after and Scott and Allison quickly gather their things and take her home for the night. Lydia gives them back their pumpkin pie to take home but not after Allison insists she keep some slices for herself and Stiles and Jacob.

Lydia lets Stiles and Jacob run around in the garden while she carries the lunch dishes inside and starts filling the sink to wash them.

“Need a hand?” Lydia jumps, not having heard Stiles come up behind her. “Oops, sorry ‘bout that. Here, you’ve got a little something on your nose.” He reaches to wipe some runaway suds from her nose and Lydia goes cross-eyed trying to track the movement of his finger. “All better.”

“My knight in shining armour.” she jokes.

“Well actually, I’m a prince tonight, not a knight. Hey Jacob, can you fetch my iPod from the bag? I think we need some washing up music.” Jacob eagerly nods his head and gets the iPod from their bag in the hallway, handing it to Stiles. He puts it into Lydia’s iPod dock and suddenly the kitchen is filled with the dulcet tones of Sebastian the crab singing ‘Under the Sea’. Lydia laughs as Stiles and Jacob both make crab claws and sing along. Jacob even knows the entirety of the rap section and Stiles plays drums on the dishes he’s drying as Jacob performs.

It’s sticking to their Halloween theme for this year.

Upon revealing to Jacob that her favourite movie as a little kid had been _The Little Mermaid_ , he insisted they watch it at their next movie night. And he’d fallen in love with it which made Lydia smile to herself whenever she thought about it. Jacob had decreed way back in May that he wanted to dress up as Flounder and that meant that _Lyd-ya, you have to be Ariel ‘coz of your hair and daddy can be your Prince._ Stiles had given her the least subtle wink at that. 

So after washing the dishes, Lydia goes to her room to get changed while Stiles and Jacob take the bathroom. It takes longer than Lydia would have thought to get them ready for trick-or-treating because Stiles lets Jacob gel his hair and Jacob is very particular about it. He sticks his little tongue out and combs it this way and that way and then back again before he has it just right. He actually made Lydia get up pictures for reference on her Ipad.

And then when Lydia pulls up pictures of Ariel for Jacob, he looks her over before letting out a big sigh and decreeing with absolute sincerity in only the way that children can that, _no Lyd-ya. You haven’t done it right._ Lydia has only minor reluctance when she gives him her make-up to fix things.

-

  
After making their way through the three blocks closest to Lydia’s, making sure to detour via the police station to see the costumes and say hi to the Sheriff, Lydia unlocks the front door and waits for Stiles to carry Jacob inside before quietly shutting the door behind her.

Stiles heads straight for the lounge room and places Jacob down on the couch. Jacob immediately tucks his feet up under him and rests his head on the armrest, closing his eyes and sighing. Lydia watches fondly from the doorframe, a smile playing on her lips.

Stiles joins Lydia for a moment, placing a hand on the small of her back. Lydia rubs her palm up and down Stiles bicep and turns to kiss him on the cheek.

“Hey,” she whispers.

“Hey,” he replies, turning to look at her.

“Want something to drink?” Lydia offers, eyes tracing over Stiles face as he continues to stare at her.

“I might just get myself a glass of water. Jacob is pretty wiped.” Stiles turns toward the kitchen and reaches for a glass from the cupboard, filling it up at the sink and leaning back against it as he drinks. Lydia goes to get her own glass of water and joins him. 

"Did you and Jacob want to stay the night?"

"Thanks Lyds, but I should probably get him home.” Stiles puts him glass in the sink, using the movement to bring himself closer to Lydia. She smiles, taking comfort in the warmth radiating from him, and wraps an arm around his torso, pulling him against her in a hug. He immediately wraps his arms tightly around her and buries his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. He kisses her on the head and draws back, moving his arms so they’re resting on her waist. “He hasn’t been sleeping so well lately and it helps if he’s in his own bed.”

"Ok then." Stiles takes her glass from her hand and puts it into the sink behind them. He keeps his hands on her waist and leans in slowly. Lydia reaches up to link her hands behind his head, enjoys watching the browns in his eyes dance and he gets closer to her. She closes her eyes as their lips meet and moves to press her body gently against his.

After a few moments, Stiles pulls back, a small smile on his face. He pushes some hair behind her ear.

Sighing, he says, “time for me to get Jacob home”. He gathers the bags they’d left behind earlier with their normal clothes and goes to put them in his car while Lydia rinses their glasses and puts them away. Stiles returns and picks up Jacob softly, who is now asleep, and Lydia walks them to the door.

"We still on for our date on Friday?" 

"Of course.” Lydia replies, “I'm looking forward to it." She leans in to press a quick kiss to Stiles lips, careful not to jostle Jacob.

"See you then Lydia. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Stiles."

Lydia watches them walk down the front path and follows their movement down the street until she can’t see them anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the third Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> un-beta'd

“You think I would have learnt by now that moving around Halloween time is not a good idea.” Lydia huffs out as she carries another box up the stairs to the bedroom. Their bedroom. Her’s and Stiles’. She can’t help but beam every time she thinks of it.

He’d asked her to move in with him and Jacob nearly 2 months ago now but they both agreed that she needed time to think it over. Because it wasn’t just them, it was Jacob too, and that made things more complicated. 

“Hey” Stiles says, sneaking up behind her to wrap his arms around her and press a kiss to her temple. Lydia twists around in his arms to face him and sees he’s also beaming. 

“Exciting isn’t it?” His eyes twinkle and Lydia laughs. “Who knew I could get so enthused about moving boxes around?”

“Only you. I’m already dreading how sore my muscles are going to be tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll give you a massage,” Stiles says with a look in his eyes that implies strongly to Lydia that a massage isn’t all he’ll be giving her.

She raises an eyebrow at him and hums to show she got his intended message. He winks, which would be ridiculous on anyone else but Lydia has come to love seeing Stiles do it, especially as he leans in to kiss her to solidify the promise. Lydia feels her body warming up just as he pulls abruptly away from her and backs to the doorway. 

“Did anyone ever tell you Stiles, that you’re an absolute menace?”

“Yes actually,” and he cocks his hips as he says it, looping his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans. Lydia crosses her arms in retaliation. “There are more boxes, and you need to earn your massage.”

She sways her hips exaggeratedly as she walks past him and out the door.

-

_Stiles had come over to Lydia’s after dropping Jacob at school and the two had spent the day chatting and sporadically asking the other trivia questions. They’re sitting at the kitchen bench after a late lunch and Lydia has been watching Stiles running his fingers over his lips for the past 20 minutes, clearly thinking something over._

_With an abruptness that signals to Lydia he’s finally talked himself into doing whatever it is he’s about to do, Stiles reaches out to take Lydia’s hands between his own, and starts rubbing his thumb over the knuckles._

_“I want to ask you something,” he begins, not looking at Lydia, but staring down at their entwined hands, “and I want you to think about it for a few days before you give me an answer, ok?”_

_Lydia is worried about what it could possibly be, but just nods and says, “ok”._

_Stiles continues rubbing his thumb over her knuckles for almost an entire minute before he takes a deep breath and looks up at her._

_“I’d like you to move in with me and Jacob.”_

_Lydia feels her mouth drop in surprise. She isn’t sure what she had expected him to ask but moving in wasn’t something that had factored in at all._

_“We’ve known each other for nearly two years now and we’ve been together for most of it, and...” he pauses again to take a deep breath, “and it feels right.”_

_So many thoughts are racing through Lydia’s brain but none more prominent than the single word_ ‘yes’. _And that’s scary. Because Stiles is right and this is a big move. It means commitment. It means officially being part of Stiles’ and Jacob’s family. It means Stiles thinks that he and Lydia are going to last, or else he wouldn’t risk upsetting Jacob if things didn’t work out._

_With all of these things racing around her head Lydia can only manage to ask, “Have you talked to Jacob about this?”_

_“Of course.” Stiles says seriously before chuckling. “He was actually a little confused about why we weren’t living together already. But that’s just because all the adult couples he knows live together.”_

_Lydia nods._

_“Hey, you don’t need to worry about Jacob’s reaction. He adores you and he knows you care for him. You cared for Jacob before you even really knew him. He still talks about that first Halloween, calls you angel sometimes.”_

_Lydia smiles and blushes and Stiles lifts her hands up to kiss her palm._

_“Stiles, I...” she bites her lip as she tries to think of what to say._ ‘Yes’ _is still floating around in her head but it’s too soon for that. “This is a big decision, and I’m going to do what you say and think it over. You asking me to move in, that’s... thank you. It...” she shakes her head, at a lost for words. “It’s wonderful. And I love you so much.”_

_“And I love you too.” He leans in to kiss her and barely pulls away to say, “else I wouldn’t have asked you.”_

_“I know.”_

_They stay leaning close to each other for several more moments, Stiles alternating between rubbing her knuckles some more and lifting a hand to brush across her cheek._

_“Ok, I need to get Jacob from school.” He stands up and Lydia follows him to her door. “Take as much time as you need to think about it. I want you to choose what’s best for you, don’t be worried about hurting my feelings. Call me when you’re ready. Or before then actually, I still want to catch up with you even if you don’t have your answer yet.”_

_Lydia nods and watches Stiles make his way to his car before closing the door._

-

“Uugh” Stiles groans in his ever charming manner and flops onto the left side of the bed. Lydia goes to lie down beside him on her side and lets out a sigh. “I’m really feeling my age right now.”

“Shut up Stiles. I’m older than you.”

“True,” he says, turning over onto his back, “but you’re probably more fit than me. You do hikes with Allison. All I do is carry Jacob around occasionally.”

Stiles’ phone rings then, and he reaches to the bedside table to answer it. Lydia takes in the line of his body as he does so and sighs.

“Hello. Stiles here... Hey Jacob! Hang on, I’m gonna put you on speaker so Lydia can hear.” He rolls over onto his stomach so he’s pressed along Lydia’s side and puts his phone onto the pillow. “’K. How was trick-or-treating with Tash?”

“Really, really fun!” The poor sound quality through the phone does nothing to damper his enthusiasm. “Tash doesn’t like strawberry _or_ orange flavour so she gave me half her lollies! And the police station were dressed as Oompa-Loompa’s this year, like from the movie about the chocolate factory we watched at Lydia’s. They all had green wigs on. Also it was really funny ‘coz we were walking up Mrs Coleman’s driveway and Uncle Scott tripped and fell!”

Stiles full out belly laughs at that, causing the bed to bounce up and down with him, so Lydia takes it upon herself to ask the sensible, adult question.

“Is Scott alright?” She also rubs Stiles' back to try and get him to calm down.

“Yeah he’s fine. Tash kissed it better for him.”

“Good.”

“So... Jacob.”

“What dad?”

“Lydia and I finished moving all the boxes in so guess who’s going to be here tomorrow when you get home?”

“LYDIA’S GOING TO BE THERE?”

“Yes.” Stiles and Lydia say in unison, both smiling. Through the phone line Lydia can hear a door opening and closing and then Allison’s voice is coming through the speakers.

“So I gather you two finished moving all the boxes?”

“Yeah they’re all here. A few still to unpack but all the essentials where they should be.”

“Congratulations guys.” Lydia can hear her smile. “Ok Jacob, I think it’s time for bed. Say goodnight to Stiles and Lydia now.”

“Nighty-night dad. Goodnight Lydia.”

“Goodnight Jacob.” They both say.

“And hey,” Lydia adds, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“SEE YOU TOMORROW LYDIA!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the fourth Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> un-beta'd

Lydia wakes up to Jacob pouncing on her stomach and yelling very near her ear.

“Wake up Lydia!! It’s Halloweeeeen!!”

She grunts as Jacob continues to bounce up and down on her stomach and rubs her eyes before opening them to manoeuvre Jacob off her. Stiles is standing in the doorway to their room, two mugs of tea in his hands and an easy smile on his face.

“When I agreed to let the two of you wake me up early today I didn’t expect quite this level of enthusiasm in my wake up.” Lydia pushes herself up to a sitting position in the bed and pats the spot next to her.

“Sorry Lydia!” Jacob crawls to curl next to her, not quite managing to draw his voice back to a non-screaming level.

“I don’t mind Jakey,” she smooths his hair back from his face and presses a kiss to his forehead.

Stiles walks into the room them, travelling to Lydia’s side of the bed to give her the tea and whisper _good morning_ into her hair before moving to his side of the bed and joining her and Jacob.

“How long have you been up?”

“Up with the birds.” Stiles singsongs. “And by birds, I mean Jacob.” He gives his son a playful glare and Jacob levels one right back at him. 

“Lydia? Do you think our rock candy will be ready today?”

She nods an affirmative and Jacob is immediately scrambling to get off the bed.

“Woh, hey, careful there Jacob. Hot teas here.” Stiles is holding his tea aloft and Lydia would laugh if it wouldn’t undermine the lesson.

“How about you sit here with us while we finish our tea and then we can go check on the rock candy.” Lydia suggests. Jacob crosses his legs and begins to tell them about his latest in a series of dreams where he’s Batman.

-

_“Ok. Shopping list time! Get up here big guy.” Stiles lifts Jacob up to the bar stool and stands behind him, wrapping his arms around him in a hug. Lydia is standing across from them with a pad and pencil to create their shopping list. This year she is introducing Jacob and Stiles to her family’s tradition of making rock candy for Halloween. It’s actually pretty simple. The only hard thing about it is waiting a week until you eat it, which is a concept Jacob is having a hard time aligning himself to._

_“I think we have almost everything we need actually.” Lydia had done a search of the pantry last night. “But it’s always good to get fresh pegs. I couldn’t find any champagne flutes?” Trailing her observation off into a question for Stiles. He laughs at that._

_“As a single guy raising his wonderful son, there was never much time for champagne.”_

_“Adding them to the list then.”_

_Apart from that they already have everything they need. Normally Stiles does the grocery shopping mid-week when Jacob is at school, but because Jacob had been so eager to make the rock candy since Lydia first mentioned how she used to make it with her mother, he’s wanted to be involved in every step of the process, including the grocery shopping._

_The trio decide to make a day of it and arrange for a play date with Allison, Scott and Tash at the local park before they do the shopping. The park is busy and Jacob and Tash amuse themselves while the adults catch-up, sitting on picnic rugs and eating brownie that Allison made. Eventually the McCall’s have to leave and Stiles, Lydia and Jacob head over to the grocery store._

_“I’ll get the champagne glasses, you find the pegs?” Stiles suggests when they enter._

_“Sounds good. Meet at the express checkout?”_

_“Got it. See you in a minute.” Stiles starts walking backwards as he finishes speaking, almost knocking into an elderly lady with a basket full of tinned tuna. Lydia rolls her eyes and shakes her head at him, heading off toward the small hardware section of the store. She grabs two packs of plastic pegs in an assortment of colours which Jacob will have fun matching with the food colouring for the rock candy._

_“Where’s Jacob?” is the first thing Stiles says when Lydia meets him at the express checkout lane. Her heartbeat immediately quickens and she feels her jaw drop. She quickly shuts it and swallows._

_“I thought he was with you?” It comes out as a question. “Oh dear god.” She says when Stiles shakes his head at her. He’s already looking around for Jacob. “Ok. Ok you stay here. We said we’d meet here so one of us should stay in case he comes here. I’m going to go and look for him.” Lydia balances the pack of pegs on top of Stiles’ box of champagne glasses and turns away from him to start systematically searching all the isles._

_Jacob isn’t in the first isle. Nor the second. By the time she reaches the fifth and there is still no sign of him, Lydia’s fast walk has become a near jog and her breath is coming in quickly._

_Lydia frantically rounds the corner of the second last isle and lets out a mangled laugh-cum-sob when she sees Jacob standing with an older woman and her son. He doesn’t appear to be worried at all and Lydia is too overwhelmed with relief to feel annoyance at that. Jacob has his back to her and as she walks towards him she catches the end of his conversation with the woman._

_“-your parents? Where’s your mother?”_

_“I'm not sure, but she has red hair, like Ariel. Um... I think she was wearing a blue dress this morning with flowers on it.”_

_“Is that her?” The woman asks kindly, nodding over Jacob’s shoulder to where Lydia has stopped walking._

_“Yeah.” Jacob beams up at her and waves the shopping list at her which is clutched in his fist. "Hi Lydia.” If the woman finds it strange that Jacob calls her by her name she doesn’t show it, and Lydia is almost too focussed on Jacob to notice anyway._

_Jacob had all but called her his mother. Lydia was swimming in feelings which she didn’t have the luxury of unravelling now. She kneels down in front of Jacob and draws him into a hug._

_“Hey Jacob.” She takes a deep breath when her voice comes out scratchy and clears her throat. “You scared me and your daddy when you walked away without us. Don’t do it again, okay?”_

_Jacob nods against her shoulder. “Okay,” he mumbles._

_“Thank you.” Lydia directs at the woman, standing up and taking Jacob’s hand. The woman smiles and nods at her._

_“No problem. I’ve had my fair share of lost kids in supermarkets. Have a good day.”_

_“You too.” Lydia replies, and leads Jacob back to where she left Stiles at the express checkout._

_Jacob has seemed to realise he’s done something wrong and is sullen when they reach Stiles, eyes downcast._

_“Jacob?”_

_“Yes daddy?” Jacob mumbles at his shoes._

_“Do you know what you did wrong just then?”_

_“Went off on my own. I should have stayed with you or Lydia.”_

_“That’s right. When we’re out in public, you need to make sure you can always see one of us, ok? Even if it is just at the supermarket.”_

_“Ok daddy.”_

_“Good. Now let’s buy this stuff and go make some rock candy.”_

_They return their purchases to the car and Stiles takes the time to buckle Jacob in while Lydia hovers by the passenger side door._

_“Are you ok?” Stiles asks once he's finished with Jacob._

_“I’m fine.” Lydia replies, hearing the breathiness in her own voice. She’s still thinking about Jacob’s conversation with the woman._

_Stiles steps closer to her so he can cup her face between his palms. “Hey, if it’s about Jacob, you don’t need to be so worried about it. Believe me, it’s not the first time this has happened. He’s fine. Okay?”_

_Lydia nods._

_“Are you sure you’re okay?” Stiles furrows his brow._

_“Ask me again later.” Lydia replies, offering Stiles a smile as she remembers how Jacob had called her mother._

_“Okay.” Stiles quickly presses a kiss to her lips then goes around to get in the driver’s seat._

_-_

_“Today at the store, when we lost Jacob, the women who I found him with, she was asking him where his mother was. He described me Stiles. Didn’t hesitate at all.”_

_Lydia and Stiles are cuddling in bed, warm from a shower after making rock candy with Jacob and putting him to bed. Stiles hadn’t asked Lydia about earlier but she could tell he was waiting for her to say something. And now he’s smiling at her with pure joy._

__

_“I’ve been talking to him about that actually.”_

__

_“You have?”_

__

_“Yeah. You’re part of our lives now Lydia. I want to make sure Jacob knows that. I’m serious about us, and I think-” Stiles pulls her tighter against his chest, “I think this is it. It feels like how family should be. You, me and Jacob.”_

__

_Lydia can’t help the smile that comes hearing Stiles call her family. She presses her face into his chest and kisses him through the fabric of his t-shirt, eliciting a content hum from him._

__

_“You know,” she starts, fiddling with the hem of his shirt, “when I pictured my life at 30 this wasn’t at all where I thought I’d be.”_

__

_“Oh?”_

__

_Lydia nods against his chest and stops playing with his shirt to slip a hand underneath instead and lay it against the warmth of his stomach. It’s true, 5 years ago if someone had asked her what her future looked like, the answer would have been career centred with perhaps a sideline of settling down with a partner. Kids had never been something Lydia imagined for herself. Which isn’t to say that she doesn’t like or want kids, but growing up and seeing her parents go through divorce somewhat marred the idea of having her own children, more for fear of putting them through something similar than not loving children._

__

_Lydia accepted years ago that her driven personality and perfectionism was often cause for trouble in her relationships, and before Stiles her longest one had only just lasted longer than a year. But with Stiles she feels... not like a different person, or a better person, just more of herself._

__

_After a period of self-discovery and maturing in high school, Lydia willingly embraced her intellectual side and only coming to Beacon Hills four years ago and spending time with Allison and Scott and Stiles, and seeing how carefree they were, able to embrace innocence and light-heartedness whilst still being their own brand of responsible adult, had made Lydia realise she’s been denying herself a whole segment of her personality._

__

_Being with Stiles and Jacob was good for her. There have been several nights in this past year that Lydia has lain in bed, eyes watering as she realises just how amazing and fortunate she is to have met Stiles and Jacob, and she sees both of them as a permanent part of her future._

__

_“But I think I like this version better.” She lifts her head off Stiles’ chest and smiles up at him before leaning in to kiss him surely. She moves the hand that is under his top around to press against his back, pulling them more firmly together as she changes the angle of their kiss. Stiles moans quietly into her mouth when she traces her tongue against him bottom lip._

__

_“Much better” she whispers, her lips moving against his._

__

__

_-_

 _Lydia calls Allison the next morning to tell her about Jacob calling her mother._

_“Lydia! That’s wonderful. How are you feeling?”_

__

_“I, I don’t know. I feel funny, like nervous giddiness. But really, really happy. Just thinking about it now I can’t stop smiling. I feel like my face is about to split in half!”_

__

_“I’m so happy for you Lydia.” She sounds like she’s smiling too and all Lydia can do is keep smiling as well._

__

-

“Ok which colour do you want?” Jacob bites his lip and studies the display of rock candy in front of him with great attention. Lydia has arranged the skewers out to form a rainbow and the rock candies which have grown on the end of them glisten in the midday sun coming in from the kitchen windows.

“Blue.” He finally settles on.

“Blue was always my favourite.” Lydia tells him as she passes him the candy. Jacob wraps both his hands around the bottom of the skewer and licks tentatively at the home-grown candy clustered at the top.

“Yummy!” He declares, face lighting up, licking with more fervour now.

“What colour should we give your father?”

“Green.” He speaks in between licks.

“My favourite colour.” Stiles says as he grabs his assigned candy.

“And what about for me?” Lydia asks Jacob.

“Well actually,” Stiles begins. Lydia turns to him and raises her eyebrows. “Jacob and I made a special one for you. Can you go grab it Jakey?” Jacob nods eagerly and dashes off to his room.

Lydia stares inquisitively at Stiles who just smiles back at her, giving nothing away.

“Should I be nervous?”

“I hope not.” Stiles rounds the corner of the kitchen bench to stand by her side and wrap the arm not holding his candy around her waist. Lydia leans into him.

Jacob comes back into the kitchen holding a red candy that is easily twice the size of his and Stiles'.

“Wow. Is that all for me?”

Jacob nods and smiles gleefully when she takes it. He waits for Lydia to place her candy in her mouth before he does the same. Stiles chooses to lick his instead and very quickly causes his tongue to turn green. He pokes it out at Jacob who giggles and sticks his now blue tongue out in return.

Lydia takes her rock candy out of her mouth to poke her tongue out at the both of them and Stiles grabs his phone to take a photo of the three of them holding their rock candy and showing their tongues to the camera. He flips the phone round to show them the photo and Lydia laughs at how ridiculous (and ridiculously happy) they all look. And then Lydia notices something.

She leans in closer to the screen and can make out a glint of silver through the red of her candy.

“Stiles,” she begins, angling her head to look at him. Now that they’re close she can pick up a nervous edge in the way his eyes are crinkling. His eyes are widened and hopeful.

Her breath catches in her throat inexplicably and she slowly straightens up, maintaining eye contact as she does. “Stiles?” She whispers.

He swallows and licks his lips, placing his phone slowly on the table next to his abandoned rock candy.

Lydia’s breath is coming in shallowly and she can’t bring herself to look down at the red candy clutched tightly in her hand because she isn’t sure what she wants to see when she looks at it.

Stiles solves the problem for her by gently taking the hand that is holding the candy in both of his and bringing it in between them so that it’s in Lydia’s line of vision. And there, glittering in the middle of the sugar crystals, is a plain, silver ring.

Lydia bites hard on her lip and blinks furiously.

“Lydia.” Stiles rubs small circles onto the back of her hand. “You are incredible. You make this family complete. Thinking about that Halloween we met,” he smiles fondly at her, and she can see him reliving that night as she herself is doing, “it seems so fitting. Because you are my angel.”

Lydia laughs at the saccharine statement and notices vaguely that she’s close to crying.

“I love you. I’m in love with you. Lydia Lorraine Martin, will you marry me?”

Lydia thinks that only Stiles could get away with a marriage proposal via sugary candy in a messy kitchen in the middle of the day with sticky hands and in his pyjamas. But really, what more could she have asked for? Stiles is beaming at her, managing to look loving, and hoping and wishful and giddy and gorgeous all at once. She feels so much a part of whatever it is that she and Stiles and Jacob have that is doesn’t really matter that she’s hasn’t thought about marriage much before now. There is really only one answer.

“Yes.” Stiles exhales loudly and puts Lydia’s candy with the ring in it down next to his so he can pull Lydia towards him. Lydia goes eagerly and kisses him through her smile, wrapping her arms around his middle.

A smaller pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind and she’s suddenly reminded that Jacob has been here the whole time. She laughs and whirls around to pick him up, even though he grew too big for her to do so years ago. She kisses him on the cheek and rests her forehead against his. Jacob’s smile is huge and glorious in its enthusiasm and Lydia feels that hers must be the same.

“I love you Jacob. And I love you Stiles.” She looks at both of them in turn. “And I would love to marry you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and with this chapter _Bag of Sweets_ officially becomes my longest published fic on this site.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the fifth Halloween

“Something old?” Allison asks. Lydia fingers the gold drop earrings that she inherited from her grandmother. “Something new?”

“Dress.”

“Something borrowed.” Allison clips one of her own jewelled clasps into Lydia’s hair and fixes the loose strands so they once again frame her face. Lydia watches her do it in the standing mirror they’ve set up in the canvas tent. Lydia can feel her stomach churning in nervous excitement but seeing her reflection, she can only pick up her happiness.

“You look beautiful, Lydia.” Allison near coos, standing beside her and clasping her hand tightly in hers. “This was definitely the right dress.” It is a floor length, strapless cream dress with a heart shaped neckline. Lydia’s mother spent nearly 10 minutes that morning fussing over the simple ribbon bow around the waist and nearly cried when she realised Lydia would probably squish it in the car ride over to the preserve. Lydia had assured her that they would have time when they got there to fix it up.

Natalie Martin has probably cried more than Lydia today, but the foremost emotion Lydia has felt all day is euphoria and she’s never really been a happy crier.

“Oh! Almost forgot,” Allison takes a step back from Lydia but still holds her hand. “Where’s your something blue?”

Lydia, still gazing at herself in the mirror, sees her cheeks redden. “I’m wearing blue underwear.”

Allison laughs at that. “We have a few minutes left before they need you. How are you feeling?”

Lydia takes a deep breath in and looks away from the mirror. “I feel great. I’m just so very, very happy. Damn it,” she brings up a hand to pat under her eyes. “Am I crying? I’ve gone my whole life without inheriting my mothers’ propensity for crying when happy and of course I get it on my wedding day when I-”

“Hey, it’s ok. You aren’t crying, just teary.”

Lydia turns back to the mirror and sees that Allison is right. “Oh.”

“Oh.” Allison agrees, rubbing a soothing palm up and down Lydia’s arm. “It’s strange isn’t. Marriage. It’s such a big thing, but also the simplest thing in the world, don’t you think?”

Lydia thinks about it. Marriage has been a part of her envisioned future since she learnt how to scrapbook at age 7. Big A3 art books covered with cut-outs and hand-drawn sketches of dresses and wedding cakes and flower bouquets. But really, it was never marriage Lydia was planning, it was a wedding. All of her art books and not one had featured a groom. Lydia’s wedding was big; a spectacle. But Lydia’s marriage?

The past year – engaged to Stiles, being a fiancée, accepting herself as a mother to Jacob, all of it – in hindsight all of those are huge, impossible milestones. But in Lydia’s heart it all feels so absolutely natural. If she believed in fate, she’d be inclined to say her and Stiles had been destined to meet. Nothing could have been easier than fitting herself into the lives of him and Jacob. So perhaps Allison was right, it was a big thing but it didn’t feel overwhelming. They’d have the wedding, they’d sign the papers, and then life would go on. Just a little bit different, but so much of the same wonderful pattern as she’d had since two angels had graced her doorstep 4 years ago.

Allison must have been tracking her emotions cross her face because she leans in then and hugs Lydia tightly. 

“I’m going to go get your father. See you at the altar.” She offers Lydia a bright smile and walks away, her pastel green bridesmaid dress swishing around her legs as she leaves.

-

“Ready?” Her father extends his arms toward Lydia. She picks up the bouquet her mother delivered to her earlier and places her free hand on the crook of his elbow. Together they make their way slowly to the clearing where the rows of chairs have been set up. Lydia feels a calmness wash over her, warm and steady, like the heat from Stiles’ body when they lay next to each other in bed. She breathes deeply and her dad clasps the hand on his arm with his. “You are an incredible woman Lydia, and I’m very proud to be your father. Enjoy today. I love you.”

“I love you too dad. And I will.”

The clearing looms ahead of them and Lydia can hear the soft mingle of voices, people having whispered conversations. She thinks she can pick up Tash’s giggle. There’s no music for her to walk down the aisle to, just the sounds of the preserve and her own steady breathing.

In hindsight, October may not be the most perfect time to have an outdoor wedding. But Lydia doesn’t care. She’s a romantic at heart as much as Stiles is sentimental and having their wedding on Halloween seems the right thing to do. Unashamedly, Lydia has taken much inspiration from Allison and Scott’s wedding. There are hollowed out pumpkins lining the aisle, with flickering candles illuminating a variety of carvings; everything from simple hearts, to Doctor Zuess quotes, to Jacob’s contribution of what is supposed to be a collection of sweets but is really just a lot of ragged holes in the side of pumpkin. But it’s perfect. There are fairy lights strung up between trees and wrapping around the trunks of those that form the natural archway that Stiles is standing under ahead of her. 

He looks beautiful. His hair is as unruly as always and his warm brown eyes sparkle as he smiles down at Lydia. Beside him is Scott, his best-man, and across from them Allison is standing next to the space left for Lydia. 

Lydia barely glances at the two though, but continues to walk steadily toward Stiles. He’s in an elegant three piece suit which Lydia recognises from the magazine articles she’d left lying around the house. Stiles smiles like he’s noticed her noticing and if Lydia wasn’t watching him so closely she might have missed the half-restrained eye roll.

When her and her father reach the top of the isle she takes a moment to find Jacob in the crowd. She gives him a little nod of her head and he waves at her from his place next to the Sheriff and Melissa. Her father kisses her on the cheek and takes his seat and Lydia turns slowly to make her way to Stiles side. She stares into his eyes when she’s there and finds that they are teary. He mouths _love you_ before reaching out to grasp her hand. 

Lydia is hit suddenly with a feeling of rightness. This day, this man, this child; it’s everything that she needed in her life. 

They decided to keep the ceremony short because there are kids invited, Jacob and Tash as well as children of Lydia and Stiles’ work friends. Jacob himself had requested quite early on in the planning that - when they were taste testing meal options for the reception – _can it not be long please? Because I think I’ll get really hungry and I want to eat the food you’re making me try properly_.

So after the cursory introductions from the officiate, Stiles dragging his thumb along the lines on Lydia’s palm the entire time, Stiles and Lydia exchange their vows.

“Lydia. My Angel. My Ariel. My Halloween Queen. I love you so much. You complete this family in the best possible way, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Stiles. My Angel. My Eric. My Halloween Prince. You have made me happier these past few years than I ever imagined I could be. I didn’t know that my life was missing you until I found you and Jacob. I love you unfathomably, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

When the officiate says _you may now kiss the bride_ , Stiles leans in slowly to Lydia and kisses her softly. He moves gently against her mouth and wraps his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him. Lydia runs a hand up his arm and over his shoulder, the other pressing gently against his cheek. It isn’t different or new for either of them, but just as perfect as every other kiss they’ve shared.

She pulls back infinitesimally and smiles at him, giddy and light-headed. He looks just as happy. There’s some clapping from the guests and a few cheers which Lydia would like to attribute to Stiles’ friends but is pretty sure that would be untrue. She laughs and presses another kiss quickly to Stiles lips.

They make their way back down the aisle, thankfully not under a sea of rice and confetti, with Allison and Scott following behind them with Tash and Jacob. When they pass the rows of seats Stiles lifts Lydia by her waist and spins her around. Off to the side the click of a camera goes off and later that’s the picture that the married couple choose to frame and display in their lounge room.

-

After taking photos with the photographer, giving their guests time to relocate to a second part of the nature reserve where a large marquee has been set up, Lydia and Stiles make their way to the reception. When they arrive there’s more clapping and cheering and Lydia can’t help but smile and laugh at her family and friends.

The table she is sharing with Stiles is quickly surrounded by well-wishers when they take their seats, and it’s only when the caterers start bringing food out that people leave for their own tables. Eating takes longer than normal as Lydia has to stop ever second mouthful to smile. Her cheeks start hurting halfway through her dinner. Stiles takes just as long, stopping to kiss her cheek or place a hand on her thigh or nuzzle into her hair.

Lydia and Stiles dance their first dance as a married couple to _Cheek to Cheek_ , their own personal request of the hired jazz quintet. As the title would suggest, they spend the entire dance faces pressing gently against each other, Lydia’s to Stiles’ neck and his against her forehead. Gradually the band segues into more upbeat songs interspersed with slower ones and over the course of the next half hour Lydia manages to dance with the Sheriff, Scott, Allison and even Jacob.

Lydia can tell the cake’s been brought out because she hears Jacob’s excited yell from where she’s dancing with Stiles.

“Let me guess,” he says, “cake time?”

Lydia can see it over his shoulder. A simple, two tiered round cake covered in white fondant is sitting on the large table with the champagne glasses. 

She spins them around so Stiles can see the cake. “Yes.”

“Well let’s hurry then before Tash and Jacob get their hands into it.” He takes her hand and leads her to the table where most of the kids have already gathered. There’s actually a second, simpler chocolate cake for them, as opposed to the main lemon cake, but they all seem fascinated by the double-decker cake with the trail of fondant flowers curving round it.

Stiles and Lydia cut the cake together, smiling at the photographer as they do (that picture goes in Lydia’s office) and then Stiles insists they both try and feed each other a piece at the same time (that picture goes to Stiles’ office). It actually works surprisingly well.

After the cake is finished, the reception guests start trailing out gradually until it’s just Lydia, Stiles, Allison and Scott left. Melissa and the Sheriff took home Jacob and Tash and are looking after them for the night.

The quartet sit around their table, Lydia in Stiles’ lap and Allison and Scott so close they’re almost sharing a chair. They drink champagne and trade horror stories of their wedding planning and laugh anew at the Sheriff’s attempts to dance with Tash earlier that night. Eventually the champagne gets finished and Lydia starts yawning into Stiles shoulder, her breath jostling the collar of his shirt. They gather their discarded jackets and shoes and slowly weave back to preserve’s carpark.

Scott drives the four of them back to Stiles and Lydia’s so they can get changed and get their overnight bags before they head to the hotel they booked for the night. Somewhere between bridal carrying Lydia over the threshold to their house and changing out of their wedding clothes, Stiles and Lydia end up collapsing, exhausted, on the living room couch. Lydia feels the same warmth she imagined walking down the aisle earlier that day but this time it’s accompanied by the pressure of Stiles arms wrapped around her.

When Lydia wakes up in the morning, she has to rub her eyes several times before it sinks in that she and Stiles aren’t at the hotel they booked. Looking around she see’s Scott and Allison are curled around each other on the carpet. Lydia starts laughing at how ridiculous it is that they ended up passed out on the couch like teenagers on their wedding night. She wakes the others up with it and they join in when they see what’s happened.

Stiles calls his dad and they all meet up at the local diner for brunch. Stiles idealistically orders two servings of pancakes. Allison and Scott and Tash all get simple toasted sandwiches and Tash delights in the cheesy strings that form when she bites into it. A little too excited really, and by the end of the meal there is cheese in her and Jacob’s hair which Melissa gently removes for them. The Sheriff gets bacon much to the chagrin of Stiles but Lydia distracts him by stealing his pancakes and the Sheriff mouths a _thank you_ across the table at her.

Lydia sighs and Stiles turns to raise an eyebrow at her. She just smiles and shrugs and takes an overlarge bite of the pancake she stole from him, happy to be here surrounded by her favourite people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for reading this. Honestly.
> 
> Hope you're having a lovely day.
> 
> Seems cursory to link you to my [tumblr](http://whatthehellisawinchester.tumblr.com)


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